cameraman

South African cameraman Adil Bradlow and three of his colleagues who are covering unrest in Egypt for news network Al Jazeera are being detained by authorities. Picture:adilbradlow.wordpress.com

Carmel Loggenberg | 33 minutes ago
CAPE TOWN – The Department of International Relations and Cooperation has confirmed the release of South African cameraman Adil Bradlow, who was detained in Egypt.

Bradlow and three of his colleagues were taken into custody while working for Al Jazeera in Cairo earlier this week.

The reasons for their detainment are still unclear.

The department’s Clayson Monyela says, “The department has received information from our people in Egypt that Bradlow has been released by the authorities. When we spoke to him earlier he was on his way to the airport. It’s good for his family and we’re relieved he’s on his way.”

BY REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS, 30 AUGUST 2013

Reporters Without Borders condemns the raid by the security forces today on the offices of Al-Jazeera’s Egyptian TV channel, Al-Jazeera Mubasher Misr, during which production and broadcasting equipment, including two vans and four cameras, were confiscated.

The raid follow a statement by the ministry of investment, information and communications technology and media on 28 August declaring Al-Jazeera Mubasher Misr to be illegal.

Accusing the TV station of operating without a legal basis, inciting hatred and constituting a threat to national security, the ministry’s statement announced that it was banned it from operating in Egypt.

Six of the 10 journalists are currently detained in Egypt work for Al-Jazeera. They are Mohamed Badr, arrested on 15 July, Abdallah Al-Shami, arrested on 14 August, and a crew consisting of reporter Wayne Hay, cameraman Adil Bradlow and producers Russ Finn and Baher Mohamed, who were arrested in Cairo on 27 August.

The Cairo offices of two other news media have been the targets of raids by the Egyptian security forces in the past six weeks: the Iranian TV station Al-Alam on 20 July and Turkey’s Ihlas News Agency (IHA) on 20 August.

Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.